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| PDP, Hurriyat contest PM’s interpretation of 2008-09 elections | | Why no room for separatists in J&K? | | Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Aug 16: Patron of the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who has been India’s Home Minister and Jammu & Kashmir state’s Chief Minister in the past, as also most of the Valley’s separatist political parties---including both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, JLKF and Jamaat-e-Islami---have strongly disputed Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s latest interpretation of the massive participation of the Kashmiris in recently held Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and claimed that the democratic process had not marginalized the separatist politics.
In sharp contrast to the tone and tenure of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asserted in his ceremonial address at Red Fort in New Delhi yesterday that the reality of massive participation of the Kashmiris in Assembly as well as Parliamentary elections in recent past had left “no space for the separatist politics in Jammu & Kashmir”. Contrary to a many speculations---including the one of an offer of ceasefire with the militants in the holy month of Ramzan---head of the Congress-led UPA Government did not only ignore the Kashmiri separatists but also gave them an unprecedented affront.
Making a mockery of the J&K Chief Minister’s olive branch to the separatists, Prime Minister said in rather an Advanian style that participation of large number of Kashmiris in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections had left no room for the separatist politics in the state. It was significantly different from Dr Singh’s speeches in the last over five years as he had repeatedly stated that his UPA Government believed in talking to all sections of opinion, including the separatists. He had invariably suggested the Kashmiri separatists would be taken on board in the process of finding a solution to the Kashmiri problem.
In a statement issued from PDP headquarters today, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed disputed Prime Minister’s interpretation of the massive participation of the Kashmiris in the lately held elections and claimed that a durable and lasting solution to the Kashmir problem could be found by involving the alienated sections into a dialogue process and strengthening their belief in the country’s democratic processes and institutions. He asserted that the separatist leaders had an important role to play.
Mufti emphasized on demilitarization and withdrawal of J&K Armed Forces Special Powers as also PDP’s exclusive concept of constituting a “Joint Council” of the Legislatures of Indian-controlled Jammu & Kashmir and the Pakistani-controlled Jammu & Kashmir. Officiating Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (Mirwaiz), Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, found it surprising that such a statement had been made by Dr Manmohan Singh who had repeatedly asserted in the Parliament that the solution to the Kashmir problem lay in a dialogue process with an all-inclusive involvement and participation. “We are the masters of the state and we alone will determine its fate”, Prof Gani said in a statement.
Spokesman of Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s faction of the Hurriyat, Ayaz Akbar, said that Manmohan Singh had only destroyed his own image of a mature and responsible political leader by making a bellicose assertion and wrong interpretation of the elections. He said that Prime Minister of India had “like his predecessors” spoken the “language of power” and thus harmed India’s image in the world of diplomacy and statesmanship. According to him, Dr Singh had “abused the Kashmiris” by taunting them as being “separatists”.
Identical statements of resistance poured in from Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat-e-Ahli Hadith and Democratic Freedom Party.
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